


This Adventure

by gray_autumn_sky



Series: Set in Storybrooke, Canon Divergent [27]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Hood-Mills Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 18:05:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15370275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gray_autumn_sky/pseuds/gray_autumn_sky
Summary: No real plot–Robin gets the kids ready for school, all the while reflecting on the life he and Regina share.This was the start of something longer, then Robin was killed off and I got mad and abandoned it. Then, a few weeks later, posted this as a little ficlet on Tumblr.





	This Adventure

He’d long considered himself a leader among men.

A man of values and virtue, a desire to do good—even if by unconventional means—with a strong conviction that one’s past did not dictate their future and that second chances could be earned.  And though he’d always felt a strong sense of self—it was an identity that came with a thirst for adventure.

Years of his life had been spent raiding carriages and robbing castles, riding off into the darkness as his heartbeat quickened and his adrenaline rushed. Yet it always waned—time and time again, and the next time was always faster than the last. Marian had provided him with a moral compass, yet still that compass occasionally led him astray—and though he would never fully admit it, he was bored being kept in his place and his desire for adventure outweighed his desire for normalcy.

Roland’s birth had changed him, though—and he was finally ready and willing to make concessions, to compromise and put someone before himself. Yet, this realization had come to him to late—because by the time that it did, Marian was gone and only he and Roland remained.

And so he’d rejoined his band of Merry Men—and while their quests continued, his favorite adventures turned to tree-climbing and games of hide-and-go-seek. When time had stopped, there was a part of him that was relieved—relieved to get to live each day to the fullest, correcting mistakes and savoring time that would have otherwise moved too quickly. His heart had time to heal—to move on and accept what happened, to enjoy what he had left of a life he’d never realized that he’d wanted.

Then on one cold spring day, everything had changed—and the broken pieces began to connect.

Regina changed his life—she made him feel things he never thought he’d feel again, she challenged everything he thought he knew and she reminded him that it wasn’t too late to start again, that everyone deserved a second chance. Together, they learned to love again, and together they built a life worth having.

With a smile he uncaps the black sharpie and on one lunch bag, he writes his son’s name and on the other her son’s name. A moment later, he hears them clattering down the stairs. They arrive into the kitchen like two little tornadoes—and he barely has time to pat Henry’s shoulder or kiss Roland’s forehead before they’re out the door and headed for the bus stop. But amid the usual morning chaos, Regina stands at the threshold, leaning against the doorway with a soft smirk and loving eyes. She pushes into the kitchen and gives him a kiss—soft, yet fleeting—before turning her attention to the baby girl who sits in a bouncer on the countertop. Leaning in, she presses her hand against the baby’s foot, smiling as she coos and kicks.

He steps in behind her, and settles his hand on her hip and his chin on her shoulder. She leans back against him and he kisses her cheek as he reaches around her to grab a paper bag—and reminds her not to forget her lunch.

Looking back at him from over her shoulder, he sees her roll her eyes and he laughs—as if his reminder hasn’t been earned. Sliding his hands over her hips, he turns her—and for just a moment, she looks annoyed. But then a smile tugs grudgingly at the corner of her mouth and she leans up onto the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek and murmur her thanks.

A minute later, she’s at the door, sliding her feet into her shoes and grabbing for her purse—and as he watches her go he can’t help but think to himself how lucky he is to be on this adventure with her.


End file.
